FPL Fortress

It seems like everybody and their mom is playing their Free Hit this week; but sometimes, you just gotta do what you gotta do. After a compelling Gameweek 31 recap, we tackle the Free Hit head-on, covering everything from the locks to the differentials (for those who have the cojones). In particular, we spend a lot of time discussing which trio of Arsenal and Liverpool players are optimal. Finally, Jacob poses a philosophical question that can be applied to not just the Gameweek 32 Free Hit, but also the game of FPL as a whole, and indeed life itself.

*NOTE: WE SPEND 37 SECONDS ON CAPTAINCY.

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It's that time of the season again: the run-in. High time for even more blanks and doubles, European knockout games, domestic cup finals, mounting injuries, the whole shebang. Each of these final eight gameweeks feels like it can be season-defining, as there really isn't that much time to pull ahead of your competitors, or indeed make up for lost ground. We here at the FPL Fortress hope to be a beacon of rational thought (maybe coupled with a little bit of vibes) to help you managers out there make your big decisions. Our Dilemma Deliberations this week focus on the best teams to invest in for the run-in, and we sprinkle in a little bit of discussion about why Liverpool's fullbacks are certainly fun picks, but perhaps not the best choices tactically. Let's shoot for the path with the pot of gold at its end, shall we?

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To keep Haaland or not to keep Haaland? That is the question, and we have the answer (spoiler alert: we think there are other fish in the sea). We also mull over how Jacob's Wildcard panned out and how Jiayang's imminent chip strategy might look. Perhaps it's time to take Chelsea's assets along with us for the ride—the blue flag might finally be rising from deep within the mud.

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One, two, three, four ... no, that's not how we do it around here at the Fortress. We find that there are much more creative ways to count to 7. On board? Ok, great! Now that we're all on the same page, we can move on to acronyms: in today's episode, we introduce SDG and MMM (hint: we're NOT talking about the Sustainable Development Goals). The eternal debate of head vs. heart comes up yet again with the Brighton boys, and there truly is so little to separate them. Captaincy is another interesting discussion, as we pit Toney against the Brighton midfielder of your choice (spoiler alert: we're willing to BET that Toney will come out on top).

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Funny, isn't it? Last week, no one in the FPL community had even considered wildcarding in GW 26, but now it seems like everyone's considering it. Perhaps a hive mind thing. Or, more charitably, once people start talking about something, it catches on. Jacob is deeply unhappy with his team, so he's pretty set on activating his Wildcard; we walk through his draft, and talk through a few of the hottest debates in each position. Oh, and it may be a good idea to brush up on English litigation with regards to betting infractions in the meantime. Just for your own sake, y'know?

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Liverpool are back! Is what we all thought for 21 minutes. And then they weren’t. We’ll talk about how much we should trust their assets this episode, as well as strategies for navigating the upcoming barrage of blank and double gameweeks. It's shocking how we've gone from having little to talk about to having SO much to talk about—and so little information with which to make our decisions. If you're also feeling overwhelmed, fear not! Using Jacob's psychoanalysis of the Free Hit,  we put forward a Fortress-recommended Free Hit strategy. We also discover that Jacob may have a secret vendetta against Harry Kane (well, not so secret anymore). Jiayang does his best to defend the Spurs and England darling, but Jacob remains unrelenting in his onslaught.

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It’s a bit of a quiet week in FPL, but we here at the Fortress still hope to provide you with some quality insight and banter. We tentatively sing João Félix's praises, postulate the POSSIBILITY of getting excited for Liverpool fans (out of the mud at last?), and consider Haaland's "fit" within this City side, courtesy of a piece of analysis from Thierry Henry. We also discuss the best goalkeeper options (I still have Danny bloody Ward), as well as the third striker slot, a contest between Mitrović, Nketiah, Toney, and Félix. Captaincy may not be as obvious as it seems . . . regardless of what happens though, we have access to some basic expected data, thanks to a lovely new update of the FPL website. Viva la xG revolución!

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Managers who triple-captained Marcus Rashford won. By this time next week, will we be saying the same thing about those who triple-captained Erling Haaland? We review Rashford's stunning form and our not-so-stunning predictions; beat the dead horse whose name rhymes with Ssdflkjhiverpool; and talk about how unfair it is that Man City only play 37 games every season (you'll find out why we say that). For our Dilemma Deliberations, we come to a conclusion about the prospect of a Man City triple-up (the answer would baffle a time traveler from a few years ago), get excited about an Arsenal triple-up (that time traveler is in for a rollercoaster), start thinking about Hybrid Gameweek 25 (What?! We're inventing new terminology now?!), and consider the possibility of investing into the Chelsea defense (Chelsea spending money, however, is nothing new).

Oh, and spoiler alert: we think Haaland is the best captaincy option. But you knew that already, didn't you?

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Brighton have just beaten Liverpool 2-1 thanks to a stunner from Kaoru Mitoma. Is anyone surprised? Not us. That's the latest in a thrilling round of FA Cup ties, so what better time to take inventory of all that action than right now? We also refresh our memories about GW 21 (recall: Mudryk's Hazard-esque debut, Haaland's "easy" hat-trick, and the return of the glorious United-Arsenal rivalry). For this episode's Dilemma Deliberations, we select the best Man United options are for their upcoming double gameweek; consider how much we should factor in the impending blank Gameweek 25; and analyze City's newly established Starting XI (or so it seems). Finally, we round off the episode with a discussion surrounding sticking the Triple Captaincy on Rashford. (Hint: We think it's a good idea. Jacob thinks he'll go BANG. Then BANG, BANG.)

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With City staging a second-half comeback against Spurs, this past mini double gameweek draws to a close. But unless you owned Solly March, Bruno Fernandes, or Riyad Mahrez—the triumvirate of 19-pointers—it was quite a barren scene. In attempt to figure out some spicy differentials to break the template (which is ridiculously strong right now), we also review Liverpool's plateau, Manchester United's swell in form, Pep's potentially concerning comments about City's stagnation. Captaincy appears elusive—is it time to finally entrust Kieran, Mr. Bonus Points himself? Tune in also for a heartening story about Kaoru Mitoma's graduation thesis, and an explanation for why Levi Colwill likes to have his studs on the ball.

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